I'm newly a 135i owner (2009) and plan to DD during the winter, mostly around the Detroit area. I have the "M sport package", currently equipped tires are new, summer only:
Front: 215/50 R18
Rear: 245/35 R18

I'm looking to understand the options a little better and put together the right setup for me, either on the stock rims or on a new winter wheel set.

About Me:
Im not an old lady behind the wheel but am not trying to push the car to its limits or compete. I'm not a naive driver but nor do I think I'm any kind of pro or out trying to prove stuff. EG I understand the difference between liftoff drift and power oversteer and know it when it happens on accident, but I'm not out trying to make these things happen on purpose.
That being said I would put my priorities as safety , which for me is predictability, good feedback, and handling, and would take these over max grip potential on dry. That criteria met, I'd look to find the sweet spot between performance, value, and looks. Lastly I think I'd rather have greater control on the unexpected icepatch or slush, even if the number of of days with multiple inches of snow tend to be low (if unpredictable) around here.

It looks like there are only a couple of winter tires options fit the OEM wheels, and with the TPMS and everything considered, this would save some money, but not that much since these tires are not cheap. So I'm leaning toward some mid-range alloy 17s, symetric all around with perhaps something like the blizzack WS70 in the studless catagory over something in the performance winter catagory.

One question is about the performance winter category (H & V rated), it seems from the tirerack description that I'd like the G rated better, but is this oversimplified? Often I know that subjective ratings (eg the rating of the performace winter tire on ice or snow) are scewed to the expectations of the user, eg the tire may not actually be any worse on ice but the driver demands more out of it.

Second is understanding the ramifications of size on grip, balance and handling. Is having the symmetric setup mess up the balance and feel of the car much?

Will the larger sidewalls yield a lot more roll? What about the tire catagory's effect on handling and feel? I know on my last car, stepping up from the bottom shelf tires to some Primacy all seasons had a huge effect on the handling.

I know I'm sortof geeking out on this stuff but I think it'll be cool to be riding around all winter knowing I got the best setup for me. =]

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D w/ cheap set of 17" rims Elbrus I06 and no TPMS is what i rock in winter and have NOOO issues

Quote:

Originally Posted by coder

I'm newly a 135i owner (2009) and plan to DD during the winter, mostly around the Detroit area. I have the "M sport package", currently equipped tires are new, summer only:
Front: 215/50 R18
Rear: 245/35 R18

I'm looking to understand the options a little better and put together the right setup for me, either on the stock rims or on a new winter wheel set.

About Me:
Im not an old lady behind the wheel but am not trying to push the car to its limits or compete. I'm not a naive driver but nor do I think I'm any kind of pro or out trying to prove stuff. EG I understand the difference between liftoff drift and power oversteer and know it when it happens on accident, but I'm not out trying to make these things happen on purpose.
That being said I would put my priorities as safety , which for me is predictability, good feedback, and handling, and would take these over max grip potential on dry. That criteria met, I'd look to find the sweet spot between performance, value, and looks. Lastly I think I'd rather have greater control on the unexpected icepatch or slush, even if the number of of days with multiple inches of snow tend to be low (if unpredictable) around here.

It looks like there are only a couple of winter tires options fit the OEM wheels, and with the TPMS and everything considered, this would save some money, but not that much since these tires are not cheap. So I'm leaning toward some mid-range alloy 17s, symetric all around with perhaps something like the blizzack WS70 in the studless catagory over something in the performance winter catagory.

One question is about the performance winter category (H & V rated), it seems from the tirerack description that I'd like the G rated better, but is this oversimplified? Often I know that subjective ratings (eg the rating of the performace winter tire on ice or snow) are scewed to the expectations of the user, eg the tire may not actually be any worse on ice but the driver demands more out of it.

Second is understanding the ramifications of size on grip, balance and handling. Is having the symmetric setup mess up the balance and feel of the car much?

Will the larger sidewalls yield a lot more roll? What about the tire catagory's effect on handling and feel? I know on my last car, stepping up from the bottom shelf tires to some Primacy all seasons had a huge effect on the handling.

I know I'm sortof geeking out on this stuff but I think it'll be cool to be riding around all winter knowing I got the best setup for me. =]

Whats the subjective difference really as far as confidence on snow/ice between a 7.9 and a 9.0 survey rating ( alpin pa3 vs blizzak ws70 )
Is it basically no difference or a whole different game?

Two different types of winter tires. The Alpin PA3 is a performance winter tire, the Blizzak is a true snow/ice winter tire.

The Alpin will last longer, and probably give a quieter ride. The Blizzak will be better in extreme winter conditions. If you live where it snows a lot, or you are going into the mountains a lot, I would go with the Blizzaks. If you only really need the winter tire for occasional winter conditions, the Alpin may be your better choice.

Not many seem to come in runflat, especially in the studless catagory.

With the tires yea I sounds like for me it'd come to which I'd prefer to have better tires for the 80% of the driving on cold, dry roads or optimized for that 20% crappy conditions and occasional unexpected ice patch.

I went to Tire Rack and ordered winter tires, wheels and TPMS Mounted and balanced. I have the 18” staggered wheel/tires on my 135i for summer but I got 17” wheels and 225/45/17 tires all around for winter. The winter tires ware really quickly on dry pavement so you can rotate them. It sounds like I am a little more aggressive driver than you and I think the winter setup is fine. I have a couple floor jacks and air compressor and change back to summer if no snow is forecast for a week. I can change all four wheels in 20 minutes.

+1 for Dunlop WinterSport 3D. An excellent tire for the 95% of the time that it's merely cold or icy. Good in the snow but a Blizzak will be better in deep snow. However the Blizzak exacts a large penalty in driving enjoyment. The soft compound gives you vague, sloppy steering feel.